American pika (Ochotona princeps) in Craters of The Moon National Monument. Pikas at Craters of the Moon are different in size, color, and behavior than their mountain cousins. They are much darker and smaller than mountain pika. During the warmest summer months, they are most active at dawn and at dusk rather than during the day like in the mountains. Here they make their home in the lava fields using the broken lava for shelter.